Over the past 5 or 6 years (excluding this one sadly) I have had the pleasure of spending the early part of Autumn in New England, most notably Vermont. The first time I made the trip up there in early October, it was love at first sight. Everything I had heard about the foliage did not only not disappoint, but it blew my mind! Yes, because of Mother Nature, some years are better than others and timing is something you can never guarantee, but even on a “bad” year, in my experience the color there is unrivaled. And I can also say that at least two of the years I’ve been present for have been exceptionally insane ones!
The mountains and forests of Vermont are home to the largest concentration of Sugar and Red Maples of any state in the country. Mix that with a heavy dose of Birch and Evergreens and you have a recipe for an endless sea of red and orange contrasting in absolute brilliance against the dark pines and firs with pops of bright yellow!
Yes, I know that (at least strictly speaking of New England) one could argue New Hampshire’s White Mountains or Maine’s dense, remote forests are equally or more stunning. I think it all comes down to what captures your heart for whatever reason really. For me, I have said for years that if the great Northeast is the embodiment of Autumn, then Vermont is the heart of it.
One of my first experiences hiking in Vermont was a grueling 12 mile day from Gifford Woods State Park to this wonderful window overlook and back all along the Appalachian/Long Trail. It truly made me appreciate the ruggedness of New England trails I had heard so much about. And no, I did not know this was my destination. It is just where I got to before sunset and then turned around trekking back by headlamp to my cozy campsite and warming fire at Gifford Woods. Since then, I have visited this spot several times… Sunset is an incredible time to stand here, especially if there are storm clouds breaking and shafts of light are bursting highlights below. Yes, I have experienced this twice here and unfortunately for different multiple tragic 😂 reasons each time have not been able to come away with a good photograph. Perhaps someday…
However, one time on a backpack in this region, I had made camp about a mile or so down in the forest from this location and awoke before dawn to hike up and see what sunrise might be like. Due to the location of sunrise this time of year and mountain placement, the sun’s rays don’t hit the valley below until about 9am, roughly an hour and half or so after the sun breaks the horizon. So, although you don’t get that beautiful golden first light, you still do have a pretty awesome, softly lit scene in front of your face worthy of a few sheets of film.
And what I really love in this composition is how the early light smatters the foreground birches framing a skeleton, if you will, around the heart of the valley and all those fiery maples below. I don’t even mind the fir tree right in the middle. It is after all a major player of Vermont’s forest. No place I’d rather be come early October, here in the heart of Autumn.
“In The Heart of Autumn” - Brandon Kline